5 things to watch for when UCF plays Temple

Some may call today’s game against Temple a ‘trap game’ for UCF and for all intensive purposes it is. The Knights take their 9-0 record up to Philadelphia to face an always dangerous Owls’ bunch that has pulled off numerous upsets in the past.

Now Scott Frost’s group has a chance to take a 10-0 record with a win today and head into next week’s rivalry game against USF undefeated. UCF will first need to get by American Athletic Conference foe Temple on the road, so we take a look at several keys to the game.

Milton is playing at his best

UCF quarterback McKenzie Milton is playing some of the best football out of any signal caller in the country. Milton last week threw for 311 yards in and two touchdowns in the Knights’ 49-24 victory over UConn. The second-year starter has thrown 22 touchdowns against just five interceptions on the season.

Steady ground game

Playing on the road will mean grinding a win out and the Knights will need to give the Owls’ defense a steady dosage of Milton, Otis Anderson and Adrian Killins Jr. on the ground. All three runners have been crucial to the Knights rushing attack.

Can’t look ahead

One thing the Knights can I’ll afford to do is overlook Temple, as one slip up can cost UCF a chance at a New Year’s Day bowl game.

“We’re not going to look ahead,” Frost said. “That’s not what this group’s going to do. That’s not what our coaching staff is going to allow to happen. We’ve got a lot to play for and we’ve got a lot to play for every week.”

Neutralize Frank Nutile

Temple redshirt junior quarterback Frank Nutile has been a big reason for the Owls’ recent success in wins over Navy and Cincinnati. In his last two games, Nutile has thrown for 513 yards and five touchdowns.

Force turnovers

More possessions equates to more points for the Knights usually, so UCF’s defense will be relied upon to create some opportunities for the offense to quickly get back onto the field.

About The Author

Andy Villamarzo has covered high school and youth sports for the Tampa Bay Times and The Tampa Tribune as a correspondent since 2008. He is a native of Holiday, FL, who graduated from Gulf High School and studied at St. Petersburg College. He has covered various prep, collegiate and professional athletes throughout his writing career, including Josh Johnson (Jacksonville Jaguars), Patrick Schuster (Arizona Diamondbacks) and currently writes for other publications like The Suncoast News, Friday Night Football Magazine and TopDrawerSoccer.com.